On Wednesday August 3, 22 901 votes (ward and proportional representation) were cast in the Ward 74 voting district by 11 464 registered Hout Bay voters in the 2016 municipal election.
While 268 of these votes were spoiled votes, it was clear from the results that Hout Bay voters put their trust in the Democratic Alliance (DA) and its candidate, with 7 039 of the ward votes going to Rob Quintas and 7 001 of the PR votes going to the party, resulting in an overall win of 62.03 percent versus the African National Congress’s 3 884 ward votes and 3 791, translating into 33.91 percent of the overall vote.
Also making its mark this year was the newcomer party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who scored 1.44 percent or 325 votes of the total vote (ward and PR).
Compared to the 2011 municipal elections the voter turnout this time around was 467 fewer voters, but the DA increased its overall support by 3.87 percent, obtaining 329 more total votes while the ANC’s support showed a decrease of 4.22 percent overall, with the party getting 1 314 fewer total votes in this election than the previous one.
Mr Quintas, originally from Durban, moved to Cape Town in 2000 has lived in Hout Bay since 2014. He says the Bay has a very special place in his heart.
When he visited Hout Bay as a child during a Grade 6 tour, he could never have imagined that the people of Hout Bay would one day entrust him with the “running” of their valley, he said.
He has a background in communication, marketing and public relations and became involved in politics in 2011 after spending a year in London.
He said his aim for Hout Bay in the next five years is to focus on the previously disadvantaged communities in the area.
“I want to find a project that will encourage integration between all communities and spend most of my time with the underprivileged communities in Hout Bay,” he said.
He said Hout Bay was in dire need of an integrated space where members of the various communities could come together.
Mr Quintas said the community is in need of a councillor that is present and available.
“I want to be available to my community as much as possible when I am not away on business for the City of Cape Town,” he said.
He added that he was very committed to the Imizamo Yethu roads project (“IY residents agree to road upgrade,” Sentinel, May 6) and the housing project in Imizamo Yethu.
Glenn Mashinini, chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, said the election process in the Western Cape concluded without any disruption hampering voters from exercising their constitutional right.
